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Types of Jigs

First of all, I want to start this article by saying how grateful we are to each and every one of you guys. This is the first article we have written since we were on the “Wobbly Arrow” podcast and since we were on that podcast, our visitors, views, and subscribers have spiked dramatically. I want to say thank you to Jimmy Nees and Justin Horn at the “Wobbly Arrow” for having us on the show. Thank you all so much and keep sharing and subscribing!

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about fishing, specifically, jig fishing. Today I’m going to discuss the different types of jigs and when I like to use each type of jig. I’m not going to get into which colors for certain situations because I have already done an article about color selection (linked at the bottom of the page), or you can e-mail me anytime at midwestfishing@outlook.com for questions about anything!

Swim-Jig: The ONLY reason I’m putting this bait in the jig category is the name. In my opinion, a swim jig is not a jig. However, since it is technically a jig, let’s talk about it. A swim-jig typically has a slimmer-profile head to come through cover, such as grass, more efficiently. Now, when do I use a swim jig? This is a pretty simple breakdown for me. Obviously everyone has their own opinions, but I like to use a swim jig and a chatterbait in very similar situations. The way I make the decision on which one to use is based on the amount of wind or chop on the water and water clarity. If it’s super windy, I have much more confidence in a chatterbait over a swim-jig because of a chatterbait’s ability to draw fish from farther distances with its blade. In super dirty water, I will also choose a chatterbait over a swim-jig because, again, I prefer more drawing power in the muddy water. However, if it’s super clear water, I will throw a swim-jig more often than a chatterbait because it looks a little more realistic. I only use two colors of swim-jigs, shad (white) and some sort of bluegill representation (pictured below). Again this could be argued, but I like to stay with these two colors because, if I think the water is dirty enough that neither of these will work, it’s time to switch to a chatterbait.

Flipping Jigs (arkie-jigs): This is the stereotype jig that comes to most peoples’ minds when you talk about a jig. It’s not round like a round-ball jig (I call them finesse football heads) or a football head, but it’s not quite as narrow as a swim-jig head. My personal favorite is the Omega Custom Tackle Flipping Jig (pictured below). This jig has a perfect arkie-style head to get through cover, and a great hook for sticking the fish when you need it the most. I like to throw this style of jig around any kind of wood or brush piles. Like I said, the arkie-style head will keep you from getting stuck in this kind of cover while a football head jig would create all kinds of problems in a brush pile or some thick wood. This is my favorite style of jig.

Football Jigs: This jig seems to be a big-fish staple in the summer months. A football-head jig’s name is pretty self-explanatory; it has a head that’s shaped like a football. This type of jig will not be very effective in grass or wood because it won’t come through that kind of cover very easily, but a football jig can be deadly I’m some rip-rap and bigger rocks. A football head is also commonly used in deep water in the summer on ledges and points. To do this, you will need a football head jig that is no smaller, in my opinion, than a 1/2 oz., but I prefer to use a 3/4 oz.

Round-Ball Jig: Even though I really only use it for certain situations, this type of jig has a special place in my heart. I like this type of jig because it’s usually a lighter, more finesse-type jig, but since it has a round head, I like to use it around rocks and rip-rap. It could also be used around sparse wood. I actually seem to draw more bites and catch more fish with this style of jig. The colors I use for this are the same as a regular jig, so you can refer to my color selection article (linked below).

Casting Jig: I really don’t have much to say about a casting jig. I really don’t use them that often because there isn’t much of a difference between a casting jig and a flipping jig in my opinion, but the casting jigs I have (I think Dirty Jigs) have a head that would be in between an arkie-style head and a football-head, so it is pretty versatile if you can only afford a few jigs. Most of mine also have rattles so if I think I need to add a little more drawing power to my jig, I switch to my casting jig. But since you can get rattles on either a casting jig or a flipping jig, I think they’re pretty interchangeable. Once again, the color selection article is linked below if you have questions on which color to use for certain situations.

I hope this breakdown of jigs helped answer some questions you might have about jigs! If there’s a question you still have about jig selection, I encourage you to either comment below or e-mail me at midwestfishing@outlook.com. If you find our page and articles helpful, please subscribe and share our knowledge with your friends so you can all become better anglers. Thank you and have a great day!

2 Comments on “Types of Jigs”

No problem! This was something I had trouble with for awhile so I figured it can be kinda of a problem for a lot of people. Glad I could help!! We encourage you to subscribe to our page for more helpful articles like this one!